Burial apparatus



Dec. 28, 1948.

w. w. HAASE BURIAL APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 15, 1945 Dec. 28, 194s. w, w MASE- 2,457,671

BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Sept. l5, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 2s, 194s. w, W. HAASE l 2,457,671

BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 15, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 MC wm Millllllll Wm l Patented Dec. 28, 1948 BURIAL APPARATUS Wilbert W. Haase, Forest Park, Ill., assigner to Wilbert Manufacturers Association,

Forest Park, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application September 15, 1945, Serial No. 616,627

Claims.

This invention relates to a concrete burial vault handling apparatus.

A concrete burial vault of the character with which the present apparatus may be employed is illustrated in and forms the subject matter of my copending applications, Serial No. 616,628 iiled on Sept. 15, 1945, and Serial No. 703,645 led on Oct. 16, 1946.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for assembling and lowering into the grave opening the parts of a concrete burial vault embodying a so-called air seal and embodying the construction disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid copending application, Serial No 703,645.

1 Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanyingr drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a preferred form of the new concrete burial vault assembling and lowering apparatus arranged in position of use at a g-rave opening;

Fig. 2 is a view on line 2 -2 in Fig. l, partly in section and partly in elevation showing the parts of the new burial vault assembling and lowering apparatus in the position which they assume when the casket has been lowered onto the casketsupporting base and prior to the operation of raising the base with the casket thereon into, assembled relationship with the dome of the burial vault;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the new burial vault assembling and lowering apparatus in the position in which the parts are'disposed when the casket-supporting base and dome-shaped cover of the concrete burial vault have been assembled with the casket disposed therein and prior to raising the assembled vault to remove the Wheels and wheelbearing shafts from their bearing sockets in the end Walls ofthe dome of the vault; and prior to lowering the vault and casket into the grave Opening ;I v l n Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing part of the guide rail construction for guiding the dome or dome-shaped cover of the burial vault on its supporting and guide wheels from a point at one side of the grave opening into position above the grave opening and showing one of the guide rollers for guiding the flexible vault-lowering members during use thereof;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 4, the gate being shown in open position; and

Fig. 6'is a sectional view on line 6-6 in Fig. 4.

The new concrete burial Vault assembling and lowering apparatus is shown as being employed in connection with an air seal concrete burial vault, such as generally indicated at Ill, and which comprises a dome or dome-shaped cover II and a casket-supporting base I2 having a marginal edge portion I3 which provides a supporting frame on which the vault I0 with the casket 38 therein is adapted to rest when lowered into av grave opening as 2l.

A concrete burial vault, such as shown in the drawings', is illustrated in and forms the subject matter of my aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 703,645, and comprises an outer concrete wall I5 which is integrally bonded to an inner` liner I6 4of asphalt. The casket-supporting base I2 embodies a raised porous center portion I1 andV an angularly extending Wall 39 which interconnects the marginal edge portion I3 and the raised porous center Il which is preferably made of cinder concrete or other suitable material. As shown in Fig. 3, the marginal edge portion I3 and the'interconnecting Wall 39 are composed of a lower and outer layer of nonporous concrete integrally bonded to an upper and inner layer oi asphalt 40.

The dom'e or dome-shaped cover II of the vault I0 is provided with a pair of flanged guide wheels I8 at each end thereof, and these guide Wheels are mounted on trunnions or wheelb'earing shafts I9 which are detachably inserted into suitable bearing openings 20 formed integrally in the end walls'of the dome or domeshaped cover II during the operation of molding said dome or dome-shaped cover II.

The new concrete burial vault assembling and lowering apparatus is shown mounted in position at a grave opening 2l, and comprises four uprightv corner posts orpedestals 22, each of which is provided with a supporting base as 23. At least one pedestal 22 at each end ofthe grave opening contains a gear mechanism and other apparatus for controlling the operation of a ro.

tatable shaft 24 one of which ,is rotatably journa'ed in each pair of the members 22 at each and' is generally V-jshaped in side a; reason whichwill' be made apparent presently.

end of the grave opening. Each of the shafts may be either electrically or manually controlled by a suitable control apparatus associated with one corner post 22 at each end of the grave opening and such a control apparatus may be that shown in the United States Patent No. 2,112,286 and embodiesl a control or crank handle Z-Elupony which a control crank may be mounted for controlling the operation of each shaft 24 and the raising and lowering of the exible vault supporting members or straps 2E. Thus, by reference to the drawings, it will be noted that-thenew Vault assembling and lowering apparatus in-` cludes a pair of flexible vault si'uoportingy and lowering members or straps 2S, and that-theend portion of each of these iexible members or straps 26 is attached to and is woundupon a hanged guide spool 2l two of which are mounted uporr each of the shafts 24.

|The guide rollers I8. on the dome or domeshaped cover H ofthe concrete burial vault IUT are adapted to travel over guide rails 2l', which are substantially L-shaped in cross section, and, each of which embodies an upright or Yvertical extending portion 28 and a horizontally extending base flange Sil "I he inner wall of each" corner post or pedestal 22"-is cut away or notched somewhat, as at fil', `to enable the flanged guide rollers |8t'o pass readily thereby Vand each of saidA inner walls of the corner postsv or pedestal's 22 is cut away'or notched at'its lower end, as at 42, for the reception of the outer edge portion of' on ofthe rail' bases 29` whichreston the supporting` plates 23.

A s shown in the drawings, one of these guide` rails 2T is mounted at each end of the grave` opening 2l' and ei'i'tends along the ends thereof' and to a distance'k at one side of the grave opening', somewhat' Wider' than the 'grave opening 2i itself, as best shown in Fig. `1. Each' f the eXbie Vault lbWering' arid'raisgmembers or- Strapsy 26 is guided over' a guide roller' 3U, arid those guide rollers 'st are' rotatably/Journale@ in bearing sockets 3T which are attached, i'n any" suitable manner, yas: by welding, to the bases `29 ofthe guide'rail's Z7 (Figl.

Asshown' inFigs. 4, 5, 'and' 6, the' vertically exf tending portions 28'of eachof the guide rails' 2l is 'interrupted at two points by providing a'cu'to'ut portion 32' therein adjacent each of the guide rollers 36. Thus,v as shown inFi'gs 4 aride, each' of these cut-out portions 32'is' substantiall'yceX7 t'ensive in length' with one vof the' guide rollers' 3U elevation for' Each of the guide'rail's 2T h'asj'a gate' member 33 pivotally mounted thereon, as at '35', 'adjacent' each cut-out portionv 32, and each of these gates" 33 is adapted to spa-n one of the cutout portions or notches 32 in one of the guide` rails '2"1.l VVThe iront` and rear edges 3 5 and' 3HY of each of'thej gates 313' extend angularly, as indicated vat 35 andes in Fig, 4, and each gate 33 provided with 'apair of resilient latch ar'nis 31 which Vare adapted to embrace the adjacent upright portion 28 of the guide rail 21 when the gate 33 is in closed position, asin full'lines, Figyl, and as in Figs, 5 and`6.

- In the practice of the present invention the hinged gates 33? are pivoted into fully open position,'and iny which theupper edges thereof will rest on the upperedges'of the vertical rail flanges 28. The casketisupporting base l2 of the air'seal burial vvaultY lfll'm'ay then be mounted-*upon the ex'ible members or straps 26 and ylowered or 4 suspended partially into the grave opening 2l, as indicated in Fig. 2. During this operation the flexible members or straps 26 pass through the notches or cut-out portions 32 in the rails 21- 28-29 and Work over the guide rollers 30. A suitable casket-lowering device (not shown) may then: be removably mounted, o n.v the four corner pedestals 2v"2-f, iI-i amanneiiwell understood in the art, and during the committal or. burial' service the casket may be lowered partially into the grave opening so as to rest upon the casket-supporting basel |32 of the burial vault IU.

`After the committalior burial service, the gates 33,' maybeclosed' and the dome Il of the casket lill may be brought into position adjacent the grave opening 2`| and the guide rollers I8 thereon pl'ac'e'donitlieguiderails 21-28-29 (as in dotted lines,` Fig l). The dome Il may then be rolled along the guide rails 27 `into a position above the grave, opening 2|, as in full lines, Fig. 1, the hinged'gat'es 3'3 bei'ngthen closed. The gates`33 may then again b e opened and thefbase l2 of;

the burial vault with the casket 38"' thereon, raisedI up t'o the mouth of the grave' opening, byv

means of theV lexible'm'embers 26", andy the raising' and' lowering apparatus 22-=24=25fassooiated therewith'. y i f The vault raising and lowering apparatus 212', 2'4, 25 may then bey operated b'yfthe controls l25 toI raise the casket-supporting base \'|2'- "ofm burial vau1t lo with the casket 3e thereon up" to5 the mouth of* the grave opening land solv asv to bring the marginal supporting edge portion" l=3^ of the base: I2"in`to engagement withfthelowerjy end portions I4 of the side and' erijdE'v/alls offftlie dome or domeshapedoever H o'f thevault I0. This effectsA an air and watertight seal betwefenl the asphalt inn'er lineri-'G" ofthe' dome H varidi' thefasphalt innerliner 4'0jonthe'walls I31 andv ortho basefZ. After the dome' l le andttheV casket-supporting base l2 of the `vault IU have thusV beerrbroughtinto `searing engagement with each other, with the-'casket' l3T!! disposed therebetween, the as's'ernbl'ed-E buriai vault Piffwtith the casket 3'8\ therein, -may ther-14v be 'raised slightly so' asfto lift upon lt-hefguid'e rollers; i8 and4v attached-supporte' assembled vault with the casket-38"therein desirableedvantages and characteristics which are pointed out in my aforesaid copending appli, cation, Serial. No. 70336.45.

, I-t willth-us' be seenfrom` the foregoing descrip-A tion, considered in conjunction withth'el accbi'm;

panying drawings,l that the' present invention provides -a-novel apparatus for movinglthefcover" dome'fand the casketlsiipporting' base of "a 'coria crete air' seal' burial" vault intoasseinbied position and for lowering thefsame' V'with al casket therein" into" position' in an grave-opening',- and: thusnas he desirable advantages landohar-acteristios,A and ac-i, cemplislies its 'intended objects, including those" hereinbefore pointed out and others which'are inherent fin# tire' invention.

.1. claim:

,1. An apparatus for assembling the dome and the casket-supporting base of an air seal concrete burial vault and for lowering the assembled vault with a casket therein into a grave opening, said dome having flanged guide rollers detachably mounted thereon at the corners thereof: said apparatus comprising a pair of parallel guide rails adapted to guide the said flanged guide rollers carried by the said dome during movement thereover and each-of said guide rails including a portion having an interruption therein adapted to be arranged at one end of a grave opening and each of said guide rails having a portion continuous with one of said first-named portions and adapted to extend laterally to one side of the said grave opening at the end thereof so as to enable the said dome to be moved over the said guide rails upon the said ianged guide rollers from a point at one side of a grave opening to a point above the said grave opening, means including a pair of horizontally extending rotatably mounted shafts adapted to be arranged in parallel relationship at opposite ends of said grave opening, means for rotatably supporting said shafts, a pair of flexible members extending between said shafts andwindable onto and off said shafts and adapted to extend into said grave opening through the said interruptions in the said guide rails so as to support the said casketsupporting base of said concrete burial vault thereon, guide rollers rotatably mounted on said guide rails for guiding the said flexible members during movement thereof through the said interruptions in the said guide rails, and means forming parts of the said guide rails and movable into and out of position to close and open the said interruptions therein.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each of said guide rails has a pair of the said interruptions formed therein in spaced relationship witheach other and in which each of said guide rails has one of said second-named guide rollers rotatably mounted thereon adjacent one of the said interruptions and in which said second-named guide rollers guide the said flexible members through the said interruptions in said guide rails during movement of said flexible members.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each of said second-named guide rollers is substantially coextensive in length with the adjacent one of the said interruptions in the corresponding one of said guide rails.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each of said guide rails has a cut-out portion therein and in which each of said guide rails has one of said second-named guide rollers rotatably mounted thereon adjacent one of said cut-out portions and in which said secondnamed guide rollers guide the said flexible members through the said cut-out portions in said guide rails during movement of said flexible members, and in which each of said second-named guide rollers is substantially coextensive in length with the adjacent one of the said cut-out portions in the corresponding one of said guide rails, and in which each of said guide rails has a gate member hingedly mounted thereon at one end of the corresponding one of said cut-out portions and in which each of said gate members is adapted to span one of the said cut-out portions when in closed position so as to allow the said anged guide rollers on said dome to pass thereover and thus traverse the said cut-out portions in said guide rails.

5. An apparatus as dened in claim 1 in which each of said guide rails has a cut-out portion therein and in which each of said guide rails has one of said second-named guide rollers rotatably mounted thereon adjacent one of said cutout portions and in which said second-named guide rollers guide the said flexible members through the said cut-out portions in said guide rails during movement of said flexible members, and in which each of said second-named guide rollers is substantially coextensive in length with the adjacent cut-out portion in the correspondingone of said guide rails, and in which each of said guide rails has a gate member hingedly mounted thereon at one end of the corresponding one of said cut-out portions and in which each of said gate member is adapted to span one of the said cut-out portions when in closed position so as to allow the said flanged guide rollers on said dome to pass thereover and thus traverse the said cut-out portions in said guide rails, and in which each of said gate members is adapted `to be hingedly swung into open positioin during movement of said flexible members so as to enable the said flexible members to pass over the said second-named rollers and through the said cut-out portions in said guide rails.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each of said guide rails has a cut-out portion therein and in which each of said guide rails has one of said second-named guide rollers rotatably mounted thereon adjacent one of said cut-out portions and in which said second-named guide rollers guide said flexible members through the said cut-out portions in said guide rails during movement of said flexible members, and in which each of said second-named guide rollers is substantially coextensive in length with the adjacent cut-out portion in the corresponding one of said guide rails, and in which each of said guide rails has a. gate member hingedly mounted thereon at one end of the corresponding one of said cut-out portions and in which each of said gate members is adapted to span one of the said cut-out portions when in closed position so as to allow the said flanged guide rollers on said dome to pass thereover and thus traverse the said cutout portions in said guide rails, and in which each of said gate members is adapted to be hingedly swung into open position during movement of said flexible members so as to enable the said flexible members to pass over said second-named guide rollers and through the said cut-out portions in said guide rails, and in which each of said gate members has a latching device thereon adapted to latchingly engage one of said guide rails so as to releasably hold the said gate members in closed position.

7. A burial apparatus comprising a pair of substantially parallel guide rails each having a portion adapted to be arranged at one end of a grave opening substantially parallel to an end Wall of said grave opening and each having a portion adapted to extend beyond one side of the grave opening so as to enable flanged guide rollers bearing a part of a concrete burial vault to be moved along said guide rails from a point at one side of a grave opening to a point above the grave opening, each of said guide rails having a pair of spaced cut-out openings formed in that portion thereof which is adapted to be arranged at the end of the grave opening and each of said cut-out openings being adapted to have a flexible mem- :said garteinlembers abengfadapted to;.op,en and c1ose1one .of sai/i cutfoutlopenngs; and-ad; gate members .spanningsthead :cuteioutxopenngssin the said :guide rails whenz-in'closed pnsitcznzsogjas sto-enable the, said angedfguiderollers,onxthesad part of i sadoncrete bural :Vault-,ftoftraversenthe ;rotatab1y mounted thereonforv-gudngfoneofthe saidxrexble members through. the Aadj acentbne :Unef-,of ,said gate membersisffin open position.

,.-.9.,.=;A;buria1*apparatus :as denedfin claim .7 in

which-:each of satidigudeL rails `has a; guide-*roller rotatably mounted thereon :forguidingzone r ofthe :said .fexible members through the adjacent one of As aid lcut-Out op enngs when the L corresponding ,loneaoffsaidgate members is in open ,poston,.and

-fin-whch .the said cut-.out portonsxerefformed jinw-the -Vvertically.extending anges of said guide rails and in which the said guide roiergforsald :'exibleemeni'bers@aresrotatablynmnuntedon.the -b'ase flanges ofgthe saidguidenrals. .f

,1110. 1-Aaburi1rapparatus;as denedsnaclaim 'in rwllchach', of said guidemailsgrhas a; guide roller -rdtwtablymountedrthereon Afor'guidng. one .of.;the -sadtexiblepmembers ,through thev .adjacent-one zofrsaid; cut-pout' openings l when the.; cqrresponding une:nfrsaidagatezmemberss isn open ;poston,- and inf/whichieach .ofysaidggategmembersvhas ,adatch- `ing devicerthereomand in which samicl.i1atchnggde Vicesxare adapted t to .zlatchngly f engage the said gguide ,rails sofasrto releasably `latch .the ,sadigate amernbers in closed-aposition.

WIBBERT 'cI-IAAVSEL FREFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES y Br.\ "I'E1\m?s Number HName Date v:12Lf,()6'5,5579 .-Bentley iJunel.-24, :J1-913 .12,11 123286 yHaase Mar. .129, 211938 n n-301:42()

Mead A.Iam; 5, .19.43 

